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May 07, 2018
March 14, 2018
It's My 15 Year Stampiversary!~Time For A Stampin' Up! Giveaway!
15 years ago Stampin' Up! was celebrating their 15 year anniversary and I decided to join this wonderful company as a demonstrator not knowing exactly what that meant. 15 years later I am celebrating my 15 year "Stampiversary" and Stampin' Up! is celebrating their 30 year anniversary. I never thought I would still be a demonstrator with this company but boy was I wrong. I love what I do, I love what Stampin' Up! allows me to do, I love the people I have met and I love sharing creativity with you, my customers to only name a few of the tremendous things Stampin' Up! has brought to my life. So let's celebrate!
To celebrate this big milestone in my career as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I have decided to give away a Stamparatus! If you have not heard, this is Stampin' Up!'s new stamp placement tool and will not be available until June when the new annual catalog comes out! But you can get a chance at getting your hands on it now! The retail value of the Stamparatus is $49.00! But FREE is so much better! So, how do you get a chance to win this amazing stamping tool? It's easy!
- Place a $50 order and you will receive a FREE Saleabration item and 1 chance to win the Stamparatus!
- Place a $100 order and receive 2 FREE Saleabration items and 3 chances to win the Stamparatus tool.
- Place a $150 order and you will receive 3 FREE Saleabration items and 7 chances in the drawing for the new Stamparatus tool!
(if you are placing a $150 order do not use the hostess code because you are the hostess!)
Yes! You can increase your chances by increasing your orders! So, how do you get these chances?
Place an order with me
- online: www.CreateWithME.stampinup.net Use Host code: NSN4GW4T as shown below when checking out.
Reminder if you are placing a $150 order do not use the hostess code because you are the hostess!
- via email: [email protected]
- or phone it in! 217-840-2238
It's that easy! If you place your order online there are some extra benefits. Your order will ship to you immediately (you won't have to wait until I close out the order at the end of March) and it will be shipped directly to your door( you won't have to stop by to pick it up at my house). Best for long distant orders of course!
View my online store www.CreateWithME.stampinup.net to see all the great Stampin' Up! products available to to view the Saleabration offerings. This promotion ends on March 30th at Midnight so don't delay!
Enjoy and Good Luck!
M.E.
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March 03, 2018
Watercoloring the Easy Way~Stamps Help Make Us Artists!
I got back from a short trip to Florida last week and when I got back to Illinois it was cold and rainy and the river that usually sits 250 yards behind my house was now just 1 or 2 yards from my house. It wasn't fun but we kept the water out of the house this time!
2 days after I got back I had the pleasure of stamping with some of my favorite stampers and show them how to watercolor with the stamp set Waterfront. This stamp set was designed by Connie Heisey who has sold over 1 Million dollars with Stampin' Up! I love the set she designed its so versatile.
When I posted my projects to Instagram and my business facebook page over at Create With M.E. (follow me on either of these social medias by clicking on the links here to see more watercoloring projects) I had several ladies mention that they would like to know how I completed the projects I showed. Also a few of the ladies were unable to attend our club and want to see how it was accomplished so I made a video to show you how. After the video you can click on any of the links below to purchase your set or supplies to make your watercolor card using the Waterfront Stamp Set.
Enjoy!
M.E.
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February 13, 2017
Beautiful You ~ Be Beautiful!
I know I say this a lot but this really was one of my favorite stamps when I first saw it. I was enamored with it and knew I could do so much with this. I have seen many ideas out there making this set very diverse and the sayings that come in this set are just so wonderful. Click on the image in my product list to see all of the stamps in the set.
This was my first attempt to play with this set. When I was thinking of it in my sleep (like I do, don't you?) the idea of the red hat society came to mind. I even penciled in the purple feather as a little extra touch. I am not a member of the "red hatters", may not even be old enough, but I am all into the social aspect of it and could see myself in one of those hats some day. You just never know! But look at the saying "Life Looks Beautiful On You!" I think we do look better as we age. We are wiser and more confident usually which is a very admiring trait. Here is another card I made with the same set. It's a completely different look with a different stamp from the same set.
Both of these cards were "watercolored". You can use your watercolor pencils or your inks to achieve this look. I love my aqua painter but you can also use a blender pen to get a more detailed or "fine" look.
You might ask what ink to stamp with and what to stamp on when watercoloring. I recommend if you are using traditional red rubber stamps (which Beautiful You is) to ink and stamp in Stazon ink. If you are using a photopolymer stamp you should avoid Stazon because it will stain your stamps but I have found if you ink your photopolymer stamp in VersaMark ink then stamp in stazon that will help especially if you clean them immediately, but truly, I recommend Stampin' Up!'s Archival ink. You will need to use your heat tool to completely set that ink to make it waterproof before coloring though. If you do not set the ink it will get your colors a little muddy and NO one wants mud when stamping! I love watercolor paper when watercoloring but on these cards I was equally as pleased using Stampin' Up!'s shimmery white paper. I do not recommend Whisper White as it will not hold up to the water, and will pill and eventually tear. You can click on the link below to get more information or order each of the supplies. Remember with your $50 order you will receive a FREE Sale-A-Bration item. You can pick the free item before you check out. Make sure you check your total so you do not miss out on your benefit. If you are unsure please send me an email and I am happy to help you.
Today I am blogging from Sunny Florida, this is how you do it when you are on vacation. I am parked on the floor and YES, that is a BIG bag of Cheetos and my favorite Florida beverage in my Cold Cup designed by The Glittered Pineapple
Next post will be using a fun technique that is perfect with this set. Until then be the most beautiful you that you can!
Enjoy!
M.E.
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Additional supplies that I used on the second card:
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February 08, 2017
So Very Much, Delicate Details ~ You Can Get Both FREE!
Before I start on my card today I need to tell you something. Oh heck you have to see one of the two cards, I know you do. I would! Here you go...
Now for the story. So I was talking to my friend Betsy over at BCreative Stamping last night on the phone. I told her I was on vacation in Florida because our home business finally has slowed down slightly (well it hasn't really I just needed a vacation in the warm air, let's be honest) and so I was trying to get back to blogging while I was here. She said you have not blogged since October you NEED to explain why or visitors will think you are a flake. Did I mention she is my accountability partner and keeps me on track? Well, honestly she is right. You might think I am a flake but it's definitely not why I have not blogged. If you have followed me for any length of time you know my husband and I own a home business. It starts up October 1st and goes until we get done, usually in April, with all our processing. We are custom Deer Processors. Well my husband and my kids are the processors I am the "front office" shall we say. When that starts up I try to multi-task as long as I can but it doesn't take long before my life is spinning. This year it looked like it was the end of October according to my past blog posts. So that is where I have been. It's not that I am not doing Stampin' Up! because I really am and I am still in love with it. I just had to scale back on one thing to make my life work and blogging was it. Now let's get back to stamping!
This card was actually made using two FREE stamp sets from Stampin' Up! that you can only earn from January 4th, 2017-March 31st 2017. You can earn each one by purchasing $50 in Stampin' Up! product from my store either online or by emailing me your order. For every $50 in product purchased you get a FREE item. So a $100 order will get you both of these awesome stamp sets. #143340 "So Very Much" in Wood mount or #143343 in Clear Mount and #143314 "Delicate Details" which only come in Photopolymer which is ideal for placement of these stamps.
I placed all 5 of the Delicate Detail stamps on one block and stamped my images multiple times in Versamark to get this delicate lace look on the background. When I was finished with the background I used the embossing buddy to remove the "stickiness" from my background so I could ink and emboss the words "Thank You" from the "So Very Much" set in white. The embossing buddy prevents you from getting the stray emboss powder from sticking and ruining your project. It even blocks out those oils from your fingers you don't see until you pour the powder on and think OH NO!
I finished the card off with a small piece of a Lace Doily and some Basic Pearls.
I wanted to show you another card made by my friend Liz Orr using the "So Very Much" stamp set. It's so beautiful and so different.
This is a very versatile set. You HAVE to get it! If you need it here are the supplies used on my card.
Enjoy!
M.E.
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February 07, 2017
Birthday Blast ~ Today is 2 Someones' Birthday!
Let's just be transparent for a minute. I LOVE what I do. I LOVE making cards. Do I LOVE mailing them? Not so much. It's not that I really don't love doing it I just don't do it. Okay! Not really okay but I am just stating a fact. I always feel like I am running in circles doing something and it just doesn't get done. So today I am finally trying to do some unwinding on a vacation (near the beach hence the shells in my picture) but I have two beautiful nieces back "home" that have birthday's. So Alicia and Josie here is your virtual birthday card just know I am thinking of you and LOVE you more than you will EVER know. But now I need to tell these good people who took time out of their day to visit my blog some tricks I did on your virtual card. :)
This was one of the cards we did in my Forget-Me-Not Card Keeper class at the first of the month. We focused on Birthday cards to get restocked for the beginning of the year. This card uses the Birthday Blast Bundle which means it's a stamp set and a die set together and the best part, at a discount! Yep 10% off. #144716 if you like clear mount or #144715 wood mount. You can click on the links below to buy it right away.
I have a tip for you so that when you go to make this card it's perfect. It is a pretty quick and easy card but getting the cardstock piece you cut with the Star Blast Edgelit die is a little non-intuitive. I had a friend say she messed around for a couple hours trying to figure it out. I never want you to have to do that! So here is the secret. The Whisper White layer is 3 3/4" wide. even though I want the edgelit piece to be the same size I cut the Cucumber Crush Green cardstock piece at 4 1/4" so that when I went to layer it on top of my stamped image from the Birthday Blast set I could layer exactly where I wanted so I did not have to use a stamp position-er such as a Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp I could just do my usual "eye-ball" stamping and then lay the cardstock cut out over it and adhere with some Tombo liquid adhesive and trim to match the Whisper White layer! Perfect!
I love this card it's bright and just screams "Let's Celebrate Your Birthday!" It could be good for a youth or an adult, male or female with very few changes. Maybe just a minor color change from Melon Mambo to maybe Pacific Point or Dapper Denim. Both of those would be good choices for the boy's or men in your life.
So Happy Birthday to two of my very special Nieces from Aunt Mary who is posting this card for you! I LOVE you to the Moon and Back!
Enjoy!
(Aunt) M.E.
Here are the products I used:
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October 28, 2016
Boo's & Brew's ~ Popcorn Box Treats
This morning we had a ton of fun at my annual Boo's & Brew's event. This is our bimonthly Coffee Class all dressed up for Halloween. It's something I really look forward to every halloween season. I make lots of spooky delicious treats and the ladies dress up and we have prizes for best costumes.
Aren't they all so cute?! They outdid themselves as usual. The food was delicious too.
And that wasn't even all of it. We have spider web chocolate covered oreos and Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Witches Brew! Yum.
We all made popcorn box treats filled with carmel corn to give away. They were all different and all cute! My daughter made us the Carmel corn with her special microwave recipe. It is so good and very easy.
And the awards go to...
Most Creative- Gail the "Tea Lady"
Scariest-Hannah "Hell in High Heals"
and Cutest goes to- Russell and Carl from Up
Happy Halloween Wishes from Create With M.E. I hope you will enjoy making your treats special for holidays or just the everyday with the Popcorn Box and Accessories.
Enjoy!
M.E.
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October 18, 2016
Pansy and Petite Petal Flowers ~ Making Fancy 3D Flowers The Easy Way
My friend Teresa inspired me to create these beautiful flowers this week. She shared a beautiful handmade book/album she had made for her granddaughters first birthday. I fell in love with these tiny flowers she had on the book. They were made out of paper and they were glittery and they were a beautiful keepsake. She shared that she had bought the stamps and dies from another company so I quickly went to work seeing what I could do with my Stampin' Up! supplies. This is only the beginning ladies and gentlemen. So many possibilities.
Let's start with the supplies needed:
- A Pansy Punch
- A Petite Petal Punch
- Spritzer filled with water
- Ink color of your choice (I used Watermelon Wonder)
- Sponge Dauber
- Embossing Stylus from the Simply Score Tool
- Liquid Multipurpose Glue
- Stampin' Pierce Mat
- Whisper White or Very Vanilla Cardstock scraps.
Start by punching 3 flowers from each punch for the bigger flower shown on the tag. This totally can be changed to make buds or bigger flowers. This is just how I started and I liked the way it looked.
Next you will need to color your flowers with the sponge dauber. I start in the center and work my way out highlighting the edges. The 3 Pansy punches (the bigger of the two flowers) you only need to color one side. The Petite Petal punches I recommend you color both sides since you will see both sides of the petals on the buds.
After you color the punched flowrs turn them over and spritz them with water, spritzing one at a time. Using your embossing stylus with the smaller tip pounce the edges of the back of the flower making the petals turn toward you. View my short video to see how this looks in action. After you have "pounced" all of the petals turn flower over and using the larger end of the embossing tool pull each petal in from the outer edge in to the center. Set aside to dry. Repeat on the other flowers. You will see in my video that I accidentally tear off one of the petals but notice it's a quick repair and no one is the wiser. :)
Now it's time to glue your flowers. Use plenty of Multipurpose adhesive to glue your petals together. Don't be stingy. Usually I am known to say less is more but not in this case. Form each flower as shown in the video. Attaching each layer so they petals alternate. Now you have a beautiful flower as is, or add some glitter with a little fine tipped glue to the edges of your petals, sprinkling with dazzling diamonds. Oh Yes!
When your flower is completely dry it will be very firm. The combination of wetting the paper and the glue makes your flower very stiff and your flower will last for a very long time. Like I said this is only the beginning. You could stamp the flowers with the coordinating stamp sets for more detail or what about using vellum? It is gorgeous when you emboss on it but that is for another day. I hope you will enjoy making some of these flowers and then let me know what you plan to put them on. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Now for another "Quicky Create With M.E." video for you to see how it all comes together.
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Enjoy!
M.E.
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October 17, 2016
Jolly Friends ~ Moose Munch Yumminess!
I love getting fun homemade things from friends, don't you? Today's share is a fun bag of yumminess I received at a retreat I attended recently. This treat was from Aimee Slocum. So cute and Yummy to eat! Thanks Aimee!
I just love how Aimee used the cute little moose from the Jolly Friends set and turned him into the perfect tag for this treat. Some watercoloring and added words to tell me what my treat is using one of my absolute favorite little alphabet sets called Labeler Alphabet. You get 101 photopolymer stamps for only $17.00 Check it out in the Product list below.
The little touch of glimmer with the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper is a perfect addition to "Santas" hat.
Look what Aimee put in her Moose Munch! Pretzels and Carmel corn and little candy pieces. What would you fill your cellophane baggies with this holiday? I know what I would give away in mine, something that has been affectionately known as "Crack" around here. You can find the recipe here: Crack Recipe. AKA Crispix mix just so there is no strange google search issues Bwahahaha #notfunny It's a real winner, trust me just go try it and plan to double the recipe. Use half crispix and half cinnamon chex. (a new delicious twist)
Enjoy!
M.E.
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October 11, 2016
Acorny Thank You ~ CASE from the BEST
The Stampin' Up! Catalog is chock full of wonderful ideas. This is why it's called the IDEA BOOK! The card I am showcasing today is pulled right from this great IDEA BOOK without any changes.
I love everything about it. The colors are fun and bright. The stamp is perfect for fall and it's super easy to put together. Why change it? Hence the term CASE (Copy And Share Everything!) I've also heard it as Copy and Steal everything but I'm not really stealing it since Stampin' Up! encourages us to CASE ideas from their IDEA BOOK all the time. I have always, always been someone who rather give than receive. I love to share, I always have and that is what I love MOST about my job. So I will go with Copy And Share Everything. The people I tend to surround myself with are so free and willing to share just like I am! If this was a cut throat, kill or be killed job I wouldn't be doing it. Not my thAng! Not in my make-up!
One of the tips you can view in my video below is how to make a stamping, or better yet, a punch template for the Acorn Builders Punch. Check it out, it's less than 2 minutes! Lots of time to practice making your own template.
All products used are in the Product List below, feel free to click on each product to get more details or to order. I will be releasing a new Shop with M.E. FREE Product Incentive Program soon but you can take advantage now. Here are the basics, If you place a $40.00 online order using the hostess code: QJDHHVMK You will receive FREE product at the end of the month mailed to your home along with some great project kits. Full details coming soon but you can still take advantage of this offer for October. When you use this code when checking out you can order anything you like and it will ship directly to your home. The FREE product and Project Kits will ship to you from M.E. at the end of the month. The amount of FREE product is determined by the number of orders placed using this code. Make sure you allow me to contact you (do not click on NO contact or I will not have your mailing information and can not send you your FREE items. Thank You for Shopping with M.E. today.
Today I am sharing another Quickie Create With M.E. Video of this card. If you are reading this in your email feed you will need to click on this link to view the video in YouTube.
Enjoy!
M.E.
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About M.E.
- My name is Mary Ellen (M.E.) Stites, I LOVE what I do and I LOVE sharing it with others at classes, in-home workshops, and online.
I have been married for 33 years to my best friend Chuck. I am the mother of 4 wonderful children. 2 boys and 2 girls 30, 26, 24, and 18 years old.
I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since 2003 and have no plans to stop! Stampin' Up! is cutting edge in the Memory Keeping and Stamping industry and I only want to present the best to my customers!
Stamp Woman
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- This is my personal blog. I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! products I may offer here.